We’ve all heard the phrase, "Don’t judge a book by its cover". It’s sound advice, urging us not to make snappy judgments based on appearances. While we true bookworms might not judge a book solely by its cover, we judge it by its preview. And that is not wrong. The little paragraph of text on the back cover or the inside flap of the book is often our first glimpse into what the story might hold. It’s what convinces us to pick the book up- or put it down.
Now, the saying may not even be referring to books. 'Don't judge a book by its cover' is often used as a moral saying, applicable in many aspects of life- maybe even books. But then, what should we make our decisions based on? The synopsis on the back of the book!
Yet, relying on a preview has its problems. Sometimes, a preview doesn’t do justice to the book it represents. It might feel too general, or fail to highlight the unique elements that make the story shine. Other times, previews go the opposite route, hyping the book up so much that the actual story struggles to meet the high expectations it sets.
When I first read the preview for His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, nothing really stood out to me. It felt like just another fantasy novel, with vague promises of adventure and mystery. It just said that Lyra (the main character) had a huge destiny, that she would go to the Arctic, and face many situations which have immeasurable consequences- which is literally every sci-fi novel ever. I didn’t feel particularly drawn in, and if I had gone solely by the preview, I might not have picked it up at all. But something said that I should read it, and the story was worth it. The depth of the characters, the details of the world-building, and the great plot, not to mention how fast-moving the story was, turned it into a great read- one the preview didn’t even begin to hint at.
The preview is extremely important- it can make or break a book. This is why crafting a good preview is an art in itself. A well-written one strikes a balance: it’s intriguing without giving too much away, specific enough to stand out, and truthful enough to reflect the book’s ideology. It is of course hard to captivate the essence of a complex story in a few sentences, but that's what it takes to make a book a great seller.
You could say that you judge a book by the reviews it's got, where it is ranked in the world, but people have different opinions. Not everything considered popular is liked by everyone.
It isn't wrong to judge a book by its preview like it is to judge it by its cover. A cover is merely a piece of clothing for a story while the preview represents it. A preview is a piece of the book, meant to draw out all the best parts of the plot. It is almost the soul of any book. Keep in mind, the preview is the first impression of your book, and you may need to give it a little more attention that you thought!
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